20/02/2004
Police confirm Tebay wagon brakes were faulty
The brakes on the runaway rail wagon that struck and killed four workers in Cumbria earlier this week were faulty, British Transport Police have confirmed.
The four men died on Sunday after a rail wagon ploughed into the group of maintenance engineers on a section of track near Tebay.
In a statement released today, a British Transport Police spokesperson said: "The Health and Safety Laboratory’s examination of the flatbed trailer involved in the incident has shown that the brakes fitted to the vehicle, which should have secured it, were not functional. Why they were not is the focus of the continuing investigation. We hope to be able to give a further update on progress later next week."
The RMT union's Mick Cash, in a statement on the use of the type of wagon involved in the incident, said: "There has been a ban applied by Network Rail on the use of the road rail vehicle trolleys following the accident in Cumbria last weekend.
"Network Rail want to reintroduce the vehicles this weekend. RMT is calling on our members not to use these vehicles until the cause of the accident has been conclusively established".
A joint investigation by British Transport Police and the Health and Safety Executive is continuing.
(SP)
The four men died on Sunday after a rail wagon ploughed into the group of maintenance engineers on a section of track near Tebay.
In a statement released today, a British Transport Police spokesperson said: "The Health and Safety Laboratory’s examination of the flatbed trailer involved in the incident has shown that the brakes fitted to the vehicle, which should have secured it, were not functional. Why they were not is the focus of the continuing investigation. We hope to be able to give a further update on progress later next week."
The RMT union's Mick Cash, in a statement on the use of the type of wagon involved in the incident, said: "There has been a ban applied by Network Rail on the use of the road rail vehicle trolleys following the accident in Cumbria last weekend.
"Network Rail want to reintroduce the vehicles this weekend. RMT is calling on our members not to use these vehicles until the cause of the accident has been conclusively established".
A joint investigation by British Transport Police and the Health and Safety Executive is continuing.
(SP)
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